Smoking pipe



Patented Jan. 26, 1943 UNITED STATES PATET FFEE SMOKING PIPE Fred J.Topp, Chicago, Ill.

Application February 10, 1941, Serial No. 378,142

4 Claims.

This invention relates tosmoking pipes. More particularly, it relates tomeans for preventing the accumulation of tobacco condensates in the pipeby vaporizing them and venting the vapors into the outside air.

While it has been proposed heretofore to use some absorbent material forgathering to itself liquids which accumulate in the bottom of the bowland in the stem of a pipe during smoking, no. provision has been madefor the removal of the liquids from the absorbent material. On thecontrary, the theory of such pipes is that when the absorbent materialhas become saturated with such liquids, the absorbent material will beremoved from the pipe and discarded, its place being taken by cleanabsorbent material. While this arrangement is very helpful in preventingundesirable liquids from reaching the mouth of the smoker, the absorbentmaterial must constantly be changed. Moreover, a filter'which is soakedwith tobacco yellow is not effective in removing bitterness from thesmoke being carried to the mouth.

Accordingly, the first object of this invention is to provide a meansfor collecting smoking pipe liquids in absorbent material, vaporizingthe liquids, and venting the vapors to the atmosphere. One of thefeatures of this invention is the provision of a recess in the bottom ofa pipe adjacent to the bowl and a portion of the smoke duct, whichrecess is filled with absorbent material and then closed by a foraminousplate. The ends of the recess are connected to the bottom of the pipebowl and to the smoke duct so that any liquids in the smoke duct or pipebowl will be diverted to the recess. The liquids accumulated in theabsorbent material commence to vaporize. when the pipe becomes warm andthe vapor escapes through the foraminous plate into the atmosphere.

Another object of this invention is to assist this vaporization of theundesirable. liquids in the a-bsorbent'material by providing a heaterelement capable of establishing heat conductive relationship between thehigh heat inside the tobacco bowl and the absorbent material. In orderto effect this purpose, applicant positions a strip of heat conductivematerial in such a: way that one end is within the pipe bowl and.

the. other end is within the. recess in. which is disposed the absorbentmaterial. By this arra'ngement the absorbent material is maintained ata. comparatively high temperature so that it this invention shown in thedrawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a pipe showing applicants heater element inthe bowl thereof;

Figure 2- isa bottom View of a pipe showing the foramin'ous plate;

Figure 3 is a view in section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1,showing the relationship of the heater element, the absorbent materialand the foraminous plate;

Figure 4 is a transverse section of the pipe taken on a' line looking inthe direction of 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a transverse section of the pipe taken on a line looking inthe direction of 5--5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a view in section of a second embodiment of applicantsinvention; and

Figure 7 is a view taken on the line 6-1 of Figure 6.

Continuing to refer to the drawing and particularly to Figure 3, thereis shown a conventional pipe comprising a bowl member I 9 havingintegral therewith a short stem section 52 in which is mounted by anysuitable means a stem I4 having a bit i6. A smoke duct l8 in the stemportion [2 and a smoke duct 29 in the stem I 4 provide a smokepassageway from the bowl H! to the bit It.

The means for absorbing and vaporizing undesirable liquids are disposedin a recess 22, which as may be seen in Figure 5 is rectangular incross-section. Along lower edges of the recess and cut into the walls ofthe stem portion I2 are two channels 2a and 26 which, referring toFigure 5, have their ends 28 and 36, see Figure 2, open so that a stripof foraminous metal which may be referred to as a vent plate '32 may beslipped into the channels 24 and 26 so as to close the bottom of therecess 22'. Referring to Figures 2' and 3, the outer'end of the ventplate 32 has a downwardly turned end portion 34 which provides grippingmeans for the insertion or withdrawal of the vent plate 32 from thechannels 24 and 26.

An opening 36 provides communication between the bowl ID and the recess22 and the passageway38" establishes communication between the smokeduct [8 and the recess 22. Absorbent material 40 is disposed in therecess 22 and due to the conjoint action of the opening is possibletdvaporize the liquids or to maintain 3'6 and'the passageway 38 receivesall of the liduids entering the pipe whether they come from the bowl orfrom the stem.

By the arrangement shown, assuming that a heater element 42 is notemployed, applicants pipe will cause to drain into the absorbentmaterial 40 all liquids and due to the heat in the base of the bowlthese liquids will have a tendency to vaporize and discharge through theholes in the vent plate 32.

In order to further assist such vaporization, applicant provides aheater element 42 which comprises an enlarged heat absorbing end portion44 positioned in the base of the bowl in with a long extending heatdissipation end 45 positioned between the top of the recess 22 and theabsorbent material 40. A hole 46 through the heater element 42 permitsliquids collecting at the bottom of the pipe to reach the absorbentmaterial 40. The heat absorbing end 44 of the heating element 42 may beof various configurations. In order to assist in the cleaning of therecess 22 and of the bowl II], it is desirable that the heating element42 be removable either by drawing the heat absorption end 44 downwardlythrough the recess 22 or by drawing the heat dissipation end 44 upwardlyout through the bowl [0. As shown in Figure 3, the heat absorption end44 has a configuration such that it may be drawn downwardly through thehole 36.

In practice, the absorbent material 40 is not loose, as shown in Figure5, but is in the form of a strip of absorbent paper, commonly called anabsorbent cartridge, which may be removed as a unit. The fibres of theabsorbent cartridge are tightly packed so as not to permit the ventplate 32 to impair the draw of the pipe. The heater element 42 is notfastened into the recess 22 but is simply held there by the combinedaction of the absorbent cartridge and the vent plate 32.

The advantages of this smoking pipe are evident. When in use, liquidswhether they be condensates in the pipe bowl or from the mouth will bediverted by the opening 36 and the passageway 38 to the absorbentmaterial 40. This material will become quite hot due to the action ofthe heating element 42. This heating element may be varied in size tosuit requirements but the embodiment shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5,functions satisfactorily.

In use, the absorbent material 40 does not become wet to nearly the samedegree as absorbent filters which are fully enclosed in the stem. Therecess 22 does not become filled with water, on the contrary the liquidsseem to be continuously discharged into the atmosphere and only thenonvolatile ingredients of the liquids remain in the absorbent material.The absorbent material becomes caked with a yellow substance which isthe non-volatile portions of these tobacco condensates.

Another embodiment of applicants invention is presented in Figure 6. Inthis embodiment, the comparatively small heat absorbing end portion 44of the heating element 42, see Figure 3, is replaced by a metallic wallinsert 50, see Figure 6, which is connected to a heater element 52 byany suitable means such as a rivet 54. The heater element 52 ispositioned in a recess 56 of a size sufficient to hold absorbentmaterial 58 held therein by a foraminous plate 60. The foraminous plate60 may be held in position by means of the same construction shown inFigures 2 and 3 for the plate 32 or it may be of a channel constructionhaving side walls 62 and 64, see Figure 7, which frictionally engage thewalls of the recess 55. It will be observed that in this embodiment ofthe invention shown in Figure 6 the metallic wall insert 50 and theheater element itself becomes a permanent part of the pipe and is notremovable. Under these circumstances it has been found desirable todrain condensates from the bowl to the absorbent material 58 through aduct 66 from the smoke duct 68. In this embodiment of the pipe, ametallic cooling element 18 comprising a sleeve is disposed between thestem portion of the pipe itself and a bit member 12. Communicationsbetween the open chamber 14 created by this metallic cooling element 10and the absorbent material 58 is obtained by means of the duct 16. Acooling chamber 14 may be considered as a part of the main bore orpassageway from the bore to the mouthpiece.

The embodiment shown in Figure 6 is called a preferred embodiment inthat experiment shows that it has great capacity to vaporize liquidsaccumulating in the absorbent paper 58.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

- l. A smoking pipe comprising a unitary bowl and shank and amouthpiece, a lower portion of the bowl and shank respectively eachhaving a recess coaxially arranged and forming a channel closed at itsends, a bore extending from the bowl towards the mouthpiece, a coolingchamber between the shank and the mouthpiece, an intermediate portion ofthe space of the channel having vertical communication with the bore andthe end of the channel towards the mouthpiece having communication withthe cooling chamber. metallic means positioned in the cavity of the bowland running lengthwise of the channel, re movable absorbent within thechannel in contact with the metallic means and a removable metallicchanne1 member constituting a part of the bottom of the bowl and shankand having its opposite walls in contact with the first metallic means,said metallic channel member having vents in the bottom portion thereof.

2. A smoking pipe comprising a unitary bowl and shank and a mouthpiece.a lower portion of the bowl and shank respectively each having a recesscoaxially arranged and forming a channel closed at its ends, a boreextending from the bowl to the mouthpiece, the bowl end of the channelhaving communication with the bowl and the mouthpiece end of the channelhaving communication with the bore, metallic means positioned in thecavity of the bowl and in the channel, said metallic means in thechannel extending substantially to the point of communication of thechannel with the mouthpiece end of the bore, a removable absorbentwithin the channel in contact with the metallic means, and a removablemetallic member constituting a part of the bottom of the bowl and shankand having vents therein between the channel and the atmosphere.

3. A smoking pipe comprising a bowl and shank and a mouthpiece, a lowerportion of the bowl and shank respectively having a recess coaxiallyarranged and forming a channel closed at its ends, a main bore extendingfrom the bowl towards the mouthpiece, means communicating with said boreto cause a current of air to pass through said channel in the directionof the mouthpiece when the pipe is smoked, metallic means positioned inthe cavity of the bowl and and a mouthpiece, a lower portion of the bowl10 and shank having a recess coaxially arranged and forming a, channelopen at the bottom, a removable closure member for the bottom of saidchannel provided with openings therein forming vents between the channeland the atmosphere, a removable absorbent material substantially fillingsaid channel, heat conducting metallic means positioned in the tobaccoholding cavity of the bowl and running lengthwise of said channelsubstantially in contact with said absorbent material, a main boreextending from the bowl to the mouthpiece independently of said channelto permit a main current of air to pass through the cavity of the bowl,the main bore and the mouthpiece, and means to enable a current of airto pass through said channel in the direction of the mouthpiece when thepipe is smoked, said means comprising a plurality of passagewayscommunicating with the space of the channel, one of said passagewaysbeing disposed near the mouthpiece end of the channel and the otherbeing disposed near the bowl end of the channel, said passageways beingin communication with the main current of air passing through the cavityof the bowl, the main bore and the mouthpiece.

FRED J. TOPP.

